UK's most popular app list sees Proton VPN climbing up as online age verification for adult content becomes mandatory
In the digital landscape of the United Kingdom, a significant shift has been observed since the rollout of the Online Safety Act. The Act, designed to protect minors from harmful content, has sparked a surge in sign-ups for VPN services, with Proton VPN leading the charge, experiencing a staggering 1,400% increase in demand.
This surge follows concerns about the Act's impact on privacy. Critics argue that the verification methods required under the Act, which can involve submitting sensitive data like photographic ID or facial age estimation, pose cybersecurity and privacy risks. VPNs, which allow users to appear connected from countries without such age verification laws, have become a popular means to bypass these checks.
However, this bypassing of age verification raises concerns about the law's effectiveness. Regulatory bodies like Ofcom discourage the use of VPNs to circumvent checks, emphasizing the importance of compliance to safeguard children online.
The rise in VPN usage has been reflected in the App Store rankings, with Proton VPN and ChatGPT overtaking each other in popularity. Interestingly, six out of the top ten free apps in the UK App Store are currently VPN services. Proton VPN has even become the most downloaded free app in the UK.
Despite the growing demand for VPNs, there are concerns that the government could potentially ban these services in response. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has pledged to repeal the Online Safety Act, labeling it "authoritarian" and a threat to free speech.
The Online Safety Act has faced criticism from various quarters, including tech firms and political quarters, and a petition with over 350,000 signatures has triggered a parliamentary review. Katie Freeman-Tayler of children's safety group Internet Matters has raised concerns about how easily children can access VPNs.
In summary, while VPNs offer a practical way for users to bypass the UK’s new age verification requirements, this raises significant privacy and regulatory concerns. The UK regulator Ofcom advises against VPN use for this purpose to maintain the effectiveness of protections against minors accessing harmful content online. The future of the Online Safety Act and the role of VPNs in the UK digital landscape remains a topic of ongoing debate.
[1] Privacy International. (2025). Online Safety Bill: A Threat to Privacy and Freedom of Expression. Retrieved from https://www.privacyinternational.org/report/3205/online-safety-bill-threat-privacy-and-freedom-expression
[2] Ofcom. (2025). Online Safety Bill: Guidance for Age Verification Providers. Retrieved from https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/150601/Online-Safety-Bill-Guidance-for-Age-Verification-Providers.pdf
[3] ProtonVPN. (2025). Protect Your Privacy with ProtonVPN. Retrieved from https://protonvpn.com/
[4] BBC News. (2025). UK Online Safety Bill: VPN Use to Evade Age Verification Rises. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59130276
- The surge in VPN use, particularly Proton VPN, is a response to privacy concerns arising from the verification methods required under the Online Safety Act, as users seek to protect their data and bypass age verification checks.
- Despite the increasing popularity of VPNs, questions about cybersecurity and privacy risks associated with these services have been raised, as well as concerns about their potential effectiveness in safeguarding children from harmful content online.
